As the mother of a two-year-old, the word "school" pops into my head more often than not. I have to say that what I see doesn't make me happy. There are many problems in schools these days. Violence is on the rise. Our children aren't learning because the standards aren't high enough. Many parents don't care enough about their child's education or don't do anything about it. And it's too bad that some teachers and school administrators care more about numbers, politics, and money than they do about the students they work with.
All of these things and other things are making more and more parents think about homeschooling. This gives parents more time to spend with their kids. It also gives them a chance to be involved in their child's schooling and make sure their child is doing well.
But where should I begin? I am not an educator. Where can I get the things I need? What should I show them? Is there a way to home school that other parents have found to work well? Where can I find out more about teaching at home? In this article, I'll do my best to help you find all of the information and resources you need to start homeschooling.
First, homeschooling does not cost anything. You will need a lot of different things. Depending on how old your child is, there are different rules and subjects they have to learn, as well as tests they have to take. All of this is set up to make sure that parents who pull their kids out of school are really teaching them at home.
The first thing you need to do is find out what the laws are in your state about homeschooling. Open a new browser window so you can keep this article open and paste this link into the address bar of the new window. You can find out what the laws in your state are there. Some states don't need you to tell them, but others do. Find out what your state's rules are and follow them.
The next thing you should do is talk to people you already know who are homeschooling. They will be able to give you good advice on how to home school. If you don't know anyone who homes schools, try your church or a social group in your area. You can also look for "Home Schooling Support Groups" on Ask.com. These are groups of parents who get together to talk about homeschooling and share what they've learned.
If you search for "Home School Curriculum," you can find full home school curriculums for kids of any age. Many come with workbooks and everything else you need on a CD-ROM. You can buy everything at once, or you can pick and choose which subjects you want to teach first. You can also find lessons that are based on your religion. There's a lot to choose from!
You can also teach your child everything at once using a theme. You choose a theme like "The Old West" or "Outer Space" that your child likes. Then you use their favorite theme to teach them things like math, geography, history, language skills, etc.
When kids are interested in something, they learn it quickly. Theme-based homeschooling is one way to keep your child interested and a great way for both of you to have fun while learning. If you use a theme-based approach to homeschooling and combine it with field trips or vacations, your child will be very interested in learning more. For example, if your theme is space, you could take the kids on a field trip to a space museum or observatory. You could also take a trip to a western-themed ghost town.
If you are thinking about homeschooling your child, you will also want to make sure he or she has plenty of chances to do things with other people. You might be able to give them the best education possible, but kids also need to hang out with their peers. This can be done through organized sports, music classes, and "community groups" for homeschoolers in many areas. Once you start talking to other home school parents in your area, you'll be able to find a lot of activities for your child to do.
Here's the bottom line. Even if you didn't do well in school yourself, don't be afraid to teach your child at home. You can both learn. The pros of homeschooling can be much more important than the cons. Don't worry if there is a day when it just won't work out. Don't try too hard. Make learning fun for your child by using your imagination. If you work hard, you will do well. Best wishes!
